The ability to move data reliably and securely from one location to another has become an important key to success, and in many cases to survival, for many companies and businesses. In businesses for which the primary product or service delivered is data, this ability is even more critical.
Recent years have seen a proliferation of computers and people connected on a network, in one form or another. Companies have come to depend on the ability to move data on the network to accomplish their tasks and to ensure the continuation of their businesses. A wide variety of connections and speeds are inherent on these networks, ranging from cellular phone modems and dial-up low-speed connections up through ISDN lines, T1 dedicated lines, and high speed ATM connections. A wide variety of different computers with different processing speeds and communications capabilities are attached as nodes on these networks. In many cases, especially in the oil and gas industry, many of the computers are mobile and come and go (attach and detach) from the networks from different locations.
The need to transmit information on these widely varying networks has created a demand for methods, processes, and standard techniques for moving data from one computer system to another in a secure, efficient, and reliable manner. Many of the lower to mid-level protocols have been accepted as standards. Among the most notable of these is the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). This is the basic method for moving packets of data on standard networks, including the Internet.
While there have been various applications developed using TCP/IP for transmission, the most widely known is the File Transfer Protocol ("FTP"). FTP was developed to support many different hardware and operating system platforms and is widely used to move data files around networks. It works fairly well in well established, reliable networks but has some limitations on noisy, unreliable, very low bandwidth network connections. Another disadvantage of FTP is that FTP does no compression of data, so all data must be transmitted as is. FTP also provides no recovery mechanism for file transfers. This means that if the connection is lost during a file transmission, the file transfer must be restarted from the beginning. FTP has no inherent security mechanism for protecting the data "on the wire" during the transmission. FTP also requires that the all data to be transmitted is available, i.e. that the complete file is available, before transmission can begin. Yet another disadvantage of FTP is that FTP requires that the file is not being written when the transmission begins or is in progress.
One of the many needs for secure, recoverable, adaptively compressed file transfers may be found in the oil and gas industry. In the oil and gas industry, operating companies which own and/or manage hydrocarbon wells evaluate the wells by wireline logging. In wireline well logging, one or more tools are connected to a power and data transmission cable or "wireline" and are lowered into the well borehole to obtain measurements of geophysical properties for the area surrounding the borehole. The wireline supports the tools as they are lowered into the borehole, supplies power to the tools and provides a communication medium to send signals to the tools and receive data from the tools. Commonly, tools are lowered to a depth of interest in the well and are then retrieved. As the tools are retrieved, they send data about the geological formations through which they pass through the wireline to data acquisition and processing equipment at the surface, usually contained inside a logging truck or a logging unit.
The data acquisition and processing equipment, including software, compiles the data from the tools into a "log," a plot which presents the geophysical information concerning the geological formations encountered by the well, frequently by depth. Logs can also be used to evaluate current production from producing wells or to inspect the integrity of production equipment in a producing well. In any case, the data gathered during the logging operation is generally presented on the log by depth, but may also be presented by time, or any other index by which multiple physical entries are recorded. U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,962 (incorporated by reference) describes such a well logging system controlled by a general purpose computer programmed for real time operation. Various data acquisition and processing software programs are known in the art. An example of data acquisition and processing software is Schlumberger's proprietary MAXIS.TM. system, which is a suite of separate computer programs.
The data acquisition and processing software writes the log data to two types of locked format files on disk. By "locked," it is meant that the format files cannot be written to and read from at the same time. The two types of locked format files are distinguished by the type of information they contain: one is a data format file and the other is a graphics format file. The data format file contains the numerical properties of the log data; the graphics format file contains the pictorial representation of the data. The data acquisition and processing software continues writing the log data to the locked data format file and the locked graphics format file until the log is complete. Then the data from the locked data format file and the locked graphics format file may be translated from digital readings into physical form by a marking device such as a printer. In addition to the locked data format file and the locked graphics format file, the data acquisition and processing software may send the log data to a viewing monitor, via a renderer. Using the monitor, the well logging professional ("logging engineer") conducting the logging operation can view the log as it is being compiled.
After the log is compiled, it may be transmitted to the operating company's headquarters for interpretation and review by management. The paper log may be sent directly from the wellsite to the operating company as a facsimile. Alternatively, the completed locked data format file may be sent from the wellsite to a data processing center via satellite using a protocol such as DECNET. The data processing center could in turn transmit the log as a facsimile to the operating company. As another alternative, the completed locked data format file may be sent from the wellsite to an operating company using a computer program such as Blast.TM. by U.S. Robotics.
The data acquired by logging is often crucial to the decision-making process on what will be done with the well being logged. Take, for example, a well which has just been drilled and logged. Depending on the results of the log, the well could be drilled deeper, plugged and abandoned as non-productive or cased and tested--or perhaps the decision will be that additional logs are required before the decision on the disposition of the well can be made. The results of the log may also help determine whether the well requires stimulation or special completion techniques, such as gas lift or sand control. In any case, these decisions are critical and have to be made very quickly. Mistakes or even mere delay can be extremely expensive.
Because log interpretation is part art and part science, the operating company which is drilling or producing the well frequently desires to have its own personnel viewing the log data as the well is being logged. But the operating company may be located half a world away from the well itself. Drilling and production activities are often located in remote locations and it is difficult for the operating company to have its own personnel, such as a geologist or petrophycist, join the wireline company's logging engineer on site during the logging operation. Sometimes logistics or severe weather conditions prevent the operating company from sending anyone to the wellsite for the logging operation. Furthermore, sending personnel to wellsites is expensive and exposes them to all of the hazards of the drilling or production operation, as well as the hazards and inconvenience of travel. As a consequence, tentative decisions often have to be made before the operating company can complete its own review of the actual logging data, relying solely on the interpretations conducted at the wellsite.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system or method which would allow files to be transferred securely, especially while "on the line."
A further need exists for a system or method which would allow a file to be transferred while making maximum use of low bandwidth connections.
A further need exists for a system or method which would allow a file to be transferred while adaptably compressing the file to improve transmission throughput.
A further need exists for a system or method which would overcome the disadvantages of the File Transfer Protocol.
A further need exists for a system or method which would allow files to be transferred taking into account the unique requirements of mobile network connections.
A further a need exists for a system or method which would allow files to be transferred as they are compiled in at least near real time from one location to a remote location remote from the primary for viewing or other use.
A further need exists for a system or method which would allow well data files to be transferred as they are compiled in at least near real time from a wellsite to a remote location remote from the well site for viewing or other use.
A further need exists for a system for or method of file transfer which would provide a recovery method should communications be lost.
Because the data from the logging operation is of a highly competitive nature and is extremely confidential, a need exists for a system or method which will send well data files from a wellsite to a remote location in near real time, in such a way that the data files are not susceptible to being misdirected or lost.
A further need exists for a system or method which can maintain the confidentiality of the well data while it is being transmitted.
A further need exists for a system or method of transferring files in near real time from one location to a remote location so that so that persons can view the files in near real time, without the expense of travelling to the primary location.
A further need exists for a system or method of transferring well data files in near real time from wellsite to a remote location remote from the wellsite so that persons can view the well data files near real time as they are being compiled, without the expense of travelling to the wellsite and without being exposed to the hazards of the wellsite.